Why Did War Break Out in Europe in 1914

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History Essay- Why did the war break out in Europe in 1914? In 1914, World War I broke out in Europe. This war didn’t just start due to a disagreement. The war was building up over a great amount of time. There are many main causes of war, including short-term causes and long term causes, and I will be elaborating on them and why the war broke out. This was because in 1914 ,the 6 most powerful countries in Europe were divided into two opposing alliances: the triple entente and the triple alliance. Politicians at the time called this system of alliances the “balance of power”. They believed that the power and size of the two alliances would prevent either side from starting a war. This is why it took a long time from starting a war, due to the “balance of power”. Each alliance wanted a higher chance of winning before going to war. The triple alliance was formed with Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882. Austria-Hungary and Germany automatically formed into an alliance group due to them both speaking the same language (German) and they also had a similar type of culture. Italy soon joined after because Germany was mainland Europe’s most powerful country, so Italy wanted to join with them. The triple alliance promised on the ground that they had to help the other country if they were being attacked. The triple entente was formed with Britain, France and Russia in 1907. The triple entente was less structured than the triple alliance. Entente meaning “a friendly understanding or informal alliance between states.” This meant that they didn’t need to promise to help the other two countries but the understanding that they would support the other country. One of the causes of the war was that; the alliances had rivalries between them, Germany and Britain being the leaders of each alliance. They had a tension between them. Which started long before the
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